Richmond Schools auditor reports claim of abuse of funds over bus driver overtime payments

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond School Board's auditor has reported a claim of abuse of funds to the city and state inspector generals' offices alleging misappropriation of taxpayer dollars, according to an audit.This comes after the auditor's report found the district is paying bus drivers overtime for hours they're not working. The school board has not taken any action yet in response to the report, citing concerns with the auditor's findings.Director of Internal Auditing for Richmond Public Schools, Doug Graeff, estimates that Richmond bus drivers will receive $1.8 million in overtime pay in 2024. Collectively since 2019, that figure has exceeded $7 million.But Graeff notes those expenses may be unjustified.His report points out flaws in RPS' practices and systems for tracking hours worked, finding drivers are not being required to clock in and out for their shifts. Instead, the system logs a complete shift by default.So essentially, the audit says drivers could be paid a full regular...